Regulating valve



Patented ug.V 247, 1948 REGULATING VALVE Harold B. Schultz, South Bend, Ind., asslgnor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application september s, 1943, semi No. 501,080

4 claims. (ci. 13T-15s) This invention relates generally to valves, o! the type used in hydraulic systems, and more particularly to that class of valve commonly known as a regulator or unloading valve and is an improvement o! `the valves disclosed in my applications Serial No. 468,763, filed December 12, 1942, now Patent Number 2,404,102, granted July 16, 1946, and Serial Number 469,191, filed December 16, 1942, now Patent Number 2,393,571.

Valves of this type are used to a great extent in fluid pressure or hydraulic systems of aircraft and are adapted to control the ilow of fluid to landing gears, brakes, ailerons and many other hydraulically actuated devices.

The conventional hydraulic system used on an aircraft includes a pump which is usually drivably connected to the aircraft engine and suited to maintain a predetermined pressure range in the system. However. it ls not always advisable to employ means for disconnecting the pump from the system when the desired upper limit of pressure is reached nor to employ means for connecting the pump when the lower limit of pres-. sure is reached. Generally the pump is directly connected to the engine and consequently continuously operated independently of the pressure within the system.

To prevent the pump from operating against a high pressure after a. predetermined pressure has been attained and to cause the pump to build up the pressure to a predetermined value after a low pressure is reached, a valve is connected to Another very important objectl lies in the prof vision of a regulator or unloading valve which' has an independent return connection to the ervoir. Y

Still other objects and improvements will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The drawings embrace a portion of a hydraulic res'- system in which the device of this invention 'is l incorporated and shows the regulator or` unloading valve per se in longitudinal sectional view.

the system to control the flow of pressure iluid.

directing it either back tothe reservoir or into the fluid pressure system.

In selecting the regulator valve it is desirable that it be of a type which is adjustable for a given pressure range'and not liable to vary the limits of the range assigned.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide a.

regulator or unloading valve for a hydraulic system which will holdthe pressure range for which it is adjusted with a minimum of variation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a regulator or unloading valve so constructed that the pressure range adjusting mechanism is divorced from the high pressure source.

A still further object yof the invention lies in the provision of a regulator or unloading valve which can maintain a given range setting irrespectlve of the back pressure inthe system.

Yet another object oi' the invention lies in the provision of a regulator or unloading valve utilizing a minimum of parts and simple in its operation.

A hydraulic system in which a regulator valve Ill of this invention is associated comprises a reservoir I2, having conduits Il, and I8 and il connecting it to a pump 20. and the valve I0 respectively. The pump 20 is connected to the valve i0 through a conduit 22. An accumulator 24 of conventional design receives pressure fluid from the valve I0 via a pipe 26, and supplies fluid under pressure to all hydraulically actuated devices within the system. through a pipe 2B.

The regulator valve I0 comprises generally a body member I0 having openings 32, 1l and 36, representing the return, inlet and outlet respectively, all of which are adapted to communicate with a chamber 40 formed within the body member.

To control the flow of fluid from the pump 2U to the accumulator 24, a check valve assembly I2 is provided comprising a cylindrical sleeve 4I having a seat 48 and an opening 41 in the side wall, a valve member 48 cooperating with said seat, and a spring B0 interposed between the valve member 48 and an abutment member 52 engaging said sleeve. The check valve assembly l2 is retained in a bore 54 of the body member 30 by a locking ring 53.' A sealing ring 58, circumferentially disposedvwith respect to the cylindricall sleeve 44.- prevents leakage between chamber' 40 and the accumulator when the valve member I8 is seated. y

In order to'bypass fluid-under pressure to the reservoir when the` accumulator pressure vhas attained a predetermined value, a valve 58 slidable in a bore 59 is provided. The valve ll comprises a poppet valve member having a circumfer` ential recess Bi in which is placed a sealing ring 82, a beveled portion 83 engaging a valve seat 8|, and a counter-bore' 88 adapted to receive a spring 88 which urges said valve.to closed position. One end oi' spring Aabuts a plug l0 threadedly connected into the bore to form 3 a working chamber 12 between the plug and valve 88. l

To control the pressure of the hydraulic system within a selected range of desired operation, an adjusting mechanism, comprising a screw 14, retained in a restricted portion 18 of a bore 18, is adapted to vary the force exerted by spring 80 upon a ball valve 82. A plug 'Il threadedly engages the body 30 and conceals the adjusting screw 14 from unauthorized persons who might tamper with the adjustment. The spring 80 is interpolated between spring retaining members and 88, the latter of which has a cut out lportion 88 suited to cooperate with the ball 82.

A member 80 having annular grooves 82 adapted to receive sealing rings 94 is retained in a bore 88 by a plug 98 threadedly engaging the bore. A plunger 00, having reduced end portions |02, slidably moves in 'a bore |04 concentric with `Ybores |08 and |08, the latter 08 having a greater diameter and the former |08 having a lesser diameter than the bore |04. The diameters of the bores |08 and 08 determine the kick in and kick out" pressure of the valve I0. Passages ||0 and ||2 connect bore |08 with bore |00. The bore |08 provides a seat for the ball 82 and the bore |08 provides a seat for ball which ball, as shown in the drawing, is urged against the reduced portion |02 oi the plunger |00 by a spring ||4 when the ball 82 has closed the bore |08 to the passage of fluid.

A passage ||8 communicates the accumulator pressure or the pressure within chamber 40, ii' the check valve is open, to the passages ||0 and ||2. 'I'hese passages are connected to working chamber 12 through passages ||8, |20 and |22. It will therefore be apparent that chamber 12 will be subjected to accumulator pressure at such times as valve is open and valve 82 is closed. and will be subjected to atmospheric or reservoir pressure, through a drain |20 and passage I8, at such times as valve 82 is open and valve is closed.

The operation and adjustment of the valve is as follows: l

`The valve as Yshown indicates the position oi the parts when the hydraulic pressure in the system to which the valve is connected is zero.

With no pressure on the system the pump 20 is started and fluid will be pumped into the valve I0. Since chamber 40 oi' valve |0 is closed to the passage of iluid by the check valve 42 and the poppet valve 58 the pressure within this chamber will immediately rise. Because the spring 80 oi' the check valve urging the ball 48 against its seat is weaker than the spring 80 of the poppet valve urging the valve 88 against its seat the ball 48 will be unseated by the increased pressure in chamber 40 and will allow fluid to iow to the accumulator and communicating passages ||8. H0, ||2, ||8. |20. |22 and working chamber 12 of regulator valve I0.

Until the pressure in the accumulator has reached a predetermined high limit the balls 82 and and the plunger |00 will be in the position shown in the drawings and fluid under pressure will be admitted past the unseated ball and -through the passages ||2, H8, |20 and |22 to the working chamber 12 behind the valve 80 :i: thereby hold the valve tightly against the seat When the pressure in the accumulator has reached a preselected high limit determined by the adjustment of spring 80 the pressure within the passage ||0 and bore |08 causes the ball 02 to move oil. its seat against spring 80. Unseating of ball 82 dissipates the iluid pressure within the'passage ||0 and bore |08 past ball 82 and creates an unbalanced pressure condition 'on plunger |00 with the greater pressure existing in bores |04 and |08, tending to move the plunger in a direction to further unseat ball 82 and permit the ball which was formerly held oft its seat by plunger |00l to be snapped against the seat formed by the large bore |08, to thereby prevent any further passage of fluid under pressure to the working chamber 12 in back of valve 00 to hold the valve on seat 84. With the ball seated and ball 82 unseated the pressure previously present inthe working chamber 12 is dissipated to the reservoir through passages |22, |20, ||8, ||0, chamber 10 and the drain connection I8.

Valve 58 opens almost simultaneously with the movement of valve 82 oil its seat and valve onto its seat. The exhaust of uid through bore |08 and past ball 82 is accelerated by the pressure differential which exists between chambers 12 and 40. With the movement of valve member 82 from its seat, and a consequent reduction of pressure in chamber 12, the greater pressure in chamber 40 moves the valve 88 tc open position and establishes communication to the reservoir |2 through return line I8. Upon opening of valve 58, the pressure in chamber 40 decreases whereby the check valve 48 closes under the combined iniiuence of the spring 50 and the accumulator pressure. The pump 20 now circulates the hydraulic iluid through pipe 22, valve I0. pipe I8, and back to the reservoir I0. This cycle is continuous so long as the pump is running and the fluid pressure in the accumulator is above its preselected low value.

Should the pressure in the accumulator drop below a predetermined value the spring 80 will move the valve member 82 against the seat formed by the bore |08 and will move the valve member off the seat formed by the bore |08 to establish communication with chamber 12, whereby pressure will again build up in this chamber to close valve 08. With this valve closed the pressure in chamber 40 will increase and open valve 48 whereby the pressure fluid -from the pump will be supplied to the accumulator and the cycle will be repeated.

The difference between the kick in and kick out" pressures, that is, the preselected pressure at which the accumulator is connected to the pump and the preselected pressure at which it is disconnected from the pump, is determined by the ratio of the areas of the seats of the valve members and 82 respectively, an increase in the ratio resulting' in an increase in the said difierence, and vice versa. For example. ii.' it were desirable to increase the upper pressure limit on the accumulator relative to the lower limit, it would only be necessary to replace the member 80 with another member having a smaller bore |08. Increasing or decreasing both the upper and lower pressure limits may readily be accomplished by the adjusting screw 14 which varies the compression of the spring and thereby varies the upper limit pressure required to unseat ball 82 and similarly varies the lower limit pressure at which the spring 80 will unseat ball The adjusting spring 80 is adjusted for the required compressive i'orce corresponding to the preselected pressure for the accumulator and is not subject to the back pressure in the system which condition is objectionable from the standpoint of causing the limits of the pressure range' to vary as the back pressure varies.

Although but one modification o1 the invention has been shown and described, yit is understood that the showing and description are illustrative only and the invention is not limited to the form shown and described, or otherwise, except by the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

v1. A regulator valve ior a hydraulic system comprising a body member having an inlet, re- -turn and outlet, a iirst. valve means normally arranged to close communication between the inlet and outlet, a second valve means normally seated and subjected to inlet pressure on one side tending to unseat the valve\and outlet pressure on the other side tending to seat said valve, a drain in the body for returning to the system the outlet fluid pressure acting on said second valve,

control means comprising a first ball valve normally held on its seat by an adjusting mechanism for varying the pressure required to unseat said first ball valve, said first ball valve being unseated in response to a predetermined outlet pressure acting on said second valve means for creating a differential pressure across said last named valve to move the same in response to inlet pressure to connect the inlet and return, a second ball valve normally unseated when said first ball valve vis seated and vice versa, said second ball valve being arranged to seat to cut ofi the pressure from the outlet port acting on second valve means when said first ball valve is unseated forl releasing the outlet pressure acting on said second valve means to the drain,

2. A valve for a fluid pressure system com-v prising a body havingl inlet, outlet and return ports, a bore intersecting said ports and constructed and arranged ior the passage of uid therebetween, means in said b ore between the inlet and outlet ports normally closing communication between said inlet and outlet ports and responsive to inlet port pressure for establishing communication between said ports, means in said bore between the lnlet'and return ports normally urged in a direction closing communication between said inlet and return ports and responsive to differential pressure, said second-named means being responsive to inlet port pressure for urging said means in the opposite direction for establishing communication between said ports, said second-named means also being urged in a direction closing communication between said inlet and return ports by the outlet pressure, a passageway connecting the outlet port to the second-named means for transmitting the outlet pressure thereto, an opening in the body to be connected to atmosphere, a second bore in thel body intersecting, said opening, a passage connecting the passageway to said second bore, -means for controlling the outlet pressure acting on said second-namedmeans to thereby establish communication betweenethe inlet and return ports comprising a first ball valve seated across said passage and a second ball valve `seated in said passageway, a spring in the second bore normally urging the first ball valve toward its seat, a member disposed between the ball valves valve constructed and arranged for controlling the outlet pressure acting on said ilrstball valve and on said second-named means, whereby a dii ierential pressure is created across said secondnamed means for moving the samev to establish communication between said inlet and return ports, and the outlet pressure which was acting on said second-named means is released to atmosphere through said opening as a resulto! the unseating of said rst ball valve, the cross-sectional area of the iirst ball valveseat being less than the cross-sectional area oi the second ball valve seat, so that the'predetermined outlet port pressure required to unseat the first ball valve will be greater than the pressure required to hold the second ball valve on it s seat.

3. A valve for a fluid pressure system comprising a body having inlet, outlet and return ports, a .bore intersecting said ports and constructed and arranged for the passage of iiuid therebetween, means in said bore between the inlet and outlet ports normally closing communication between said inlet and outlet ports and responsive to inlet port pressure for establishing communication between said ports, means -in said bore` lbetween the inlet and return ports normally urged in a direction closing communication between said inlet and return ports and responsive to diiierential pressure, said second-named means being responsive to inlet port pressure for urging said means in the opposite direction for establishing communication between said ports, said second-named means also'belng urged in a direction closing communication between said inlet and return ports by the outlet pressure, a passageway connecting the outlet port to the. second-named means for transmitting the outlet pressure thereto, an opening in the body to be connected to atmosphere, a second bore in the body intersecting said opening, a passage connecting the passageway to said second bore, means' for controlling the outlet pressure acting on said second-named means to thereby establish communication between the inlet and return ports comprising a first ball valve seated across said passage and a second ball valve seated in said passageway, a spring in the second bore normally urging the first ball valve toward itsA seat, adjusting means in the second bore engaging said spring for varying the force exerted by said spring in urging said rst ball valve towardl its seat, a member disposed between the ball valves and constructed and arranged to normally unseat the second ball valve when the `first ballvalve is seated and vice versa, and a spring normally urging said second ball valve toward and constructed, and arranged to normally lunseat the second ball valve when the first ball valve is seated and vice versa, and a spring normally urging said second ball valve toward its seat, said first-named spring having a greater biasing force than said second-named spring, said rst ball valve constructed and arranged to its seat, said rst-named spring having a greater biasing force than said second-named spring, said ilrst ball valve constructed and Aarranged to respond to predetermined outlet port pressure tending to unseat the same, said second ball valve constructed and arranged for controlling theoutlet port pressure acting on said ilrst ball valve and on said second-,named means, whereby a diierential pressure is created across said second-named means forl moving the same to establishcommunication between said inlet and return portsfand the outlet pressure which was acting on said second-named means is released to atmosphere through said opening as a result of the unseating of said first ball valve, the cross-sectional area of the ilrst ball valve seat being less than the cross-sectional area o! the sec'- @senseo from the inlet to outlet only, a by-pass valve located in the bore between the inlet and return ports and normally spring seated, said by-pass valve having one side subjected to inlet pressure tending to unseat the lov-pass valve and the other side subjected to outlet pressure .tending to seat said by-pcss valve. a conduit connecting the said other side of said by-pass valve to the outlet port. a first ball valve in the conduit. a spring engaglng said ilrst ball valve 'and urging the same toward its seat. a drain in the valve body to be connected to atmosphere, a second bore in the.

body intersecting the drain, a passage connecting said second bore to the conduit at a point in the conduit between the iirst ball val"e and the other side of said by-pass valve, a second ball valve seated across the passage, adjustable spring means located in the second bore and normally urging said second ball valve toward its seat. the biasing force of said adjustable spring means being greater than the biasing force oi' said first-named spring, and means ar- 8 ranged between the ilrst and second ball valves so that when the first ball valve is seated the second ball valve is unseated and vice versa. theilrst and second ball valves being provided with seats having diilerent eilective areas and constructed and arranged to control the outlet pressure acting on said by-pass valve. whereby a pressure dillerential is created across said by-pass valve for moving the same to establish communication be- 10 tween inlet and return ports, said second ball valve being subiected to outlet port pressure and arranged to unseat at a predetermined outlet port pressure which is higher than the outlet port pressure required to maintain said mst ball 15 valve on its seat alter the second ball valve has unseated.

HAROLD B. SCHUUIZ.

REFERENCES CITED is@ The following references are ot record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name v Date 25 2,241,6B5- Herman May 13. 1941 2,264,375 Hill Dec. 2, 1941 2,312,877 Campbell Mar. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 3e Number country Date 4,665 Great Britain 1877 8,799 Great Britain May 3, 1895 267,978 Great Britain June 23, 1927 

